First Lady, Others Honor Sojourner Truth

Michelle Obama and others honor Black abolitionist Sojourner Truth.

Statue Unveiled - First lady Michelle Obama, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee were just a few of the notable women on hand to honor trailblazing abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, with the unveiling of a statue at a ceremony Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C.’s Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center.

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Statue Unveiled - First lady Michelle Obama, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee were just a few of the notable women on hand to honor trailblazing abolitionist, Sojourner Truth, with the unveiling of a statue at a ceremony Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C.’s Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center.

Honoring a Legend - Back in 2006, former President Bush and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton signed a law requiring that the statue be permanently located in the Capitol. “We stand in the footsteps of Sojourner’s legacy … we honor her memory and we pay tribute to her life’s work…Sojourner Truth takes her rightful place, alongside the heroes that helped to shape our nation’s history,” Clinton said at the ceremony.

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Honoring a Legend - Back in 2006, former President Bush and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton signed a law requiring that the statue be permanently located in the Capitol. “We stand in the footsteps of Sojourner’s legacy … we honor her memory and we pay tribute to her life’s work…Sojourner Truth takes her rightful place, alongside the heroes that helped to shape our nation’s history,” Clinton said at the ceremony.

More First<br>Lady News - Also on Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama will give the keynote address at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Institute. The annual conference will include thousands of volunteers and service leaders from across the country to discuss and further engage in community service. This event will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco and the First Lady is expected to speak around 5:00 PM

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Journey to the Capitol - Michelle Obama greets the audience as she arrives on stage. The effort to get Truth’s statue to the Capitol took 10 years. The hard work of Dorothy Height, a legendary Black leader and activist, along with the National Congress of Black Women made the honor possible.

Enjoying the Ceremony - Mrs. Obama enjoys a school group’s performance during the ceremony. Grammy Award-winning gospel singers Yolanda Adams and Dorinda Clark Cole performed, “Nothing but the Truth,” in tribute to the activist.

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Enjoying the Ceremony - Mrs. Obama enjoys a school group’s performance during the ceremony. Grammy Award-winning gospel singers Yolanda Adams and Dorinda Clark Cole performed, “Nothing but the Truth,” in tribute to the activist.

Impact on the Future - The first lady also discussed the impact the honor might have on her daughters. “I am proud to be able to stand here on this day … Sasha and Malia will now be able to see the face of a woman who looks like them,” Mrs. Obama said.

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Impact on the Future - The first lady also discussed the impact the honor might have on her daughters. “I am proud to be able to stand here on this day … Sasha and Malia will now be able to see the face of a woman who looks like them,” Mrs. Obama said.